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Science shapes every part of our lives, but so much of its influence is overlooked or buried in the past. Tiny Matters is an award-winning podcast about tiny things — from molecules to microbes — that have a big and often surprising impact on society. From deadly diseases to forensic toxicology to the search for extraterrestrial life, hosts and former scientists Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti embrace the awe and messiness of science and its place in history and today, and how it could impact our world’s future. New episodes every Wednesday. Tiny Matters is brought to you by the American Chemical Society, a non-profit scientific organization based in Washington, D.C., and is produced by Multitude.
135 Episodes
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How did the early Earth, over four billion years ago, evolve into the planet we know and love today? It’s a big question, and an open question. To get answers, geologists turn to a surprising source — a tiny mineral no bigger than the diameter of a human hair, that has secrets about our planet locked away in its crystal structure. This miniscule mineral, with its big stories is called zircon.Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
We wanted to tell you about an awesome podcast called All The Right Movies. It tells the story of Hollywood one movie at a time, combining thoughtful film analysis with the kinds of conversations you would have with your smartest movie loving friends. Go check it out - you will never watch movies the same way again!
In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we talk about a new and exciting biodegradable polymer that seems to outperform commercial super glues. Then we discuss a compound called sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) that is used in high voltage equipment. Not only is SF6 a potent greenhouse gas, if you breathe it in it has the opposite effect of helium — it makes your voice deep. But it can also lead to asphyxiation so you should not breathe it in. We repeat: do not breathe this gas in. We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
An estimated 132 million babies were born across the globe last year — really just a drop in the bucket when you think about the over 100 billion babies born since modern humans first lived on Earth 200,000 years ago. And until very recently we had few tools to understand how they were doing in the womb, how they would fare in the days after birth, and how a pregnant person would change physically and mentally not just during pregnancy but in the months and years that followed. Things have changed dramatically, particularly over the last decade, in terms of the care and technology that’s available preconception, during pregnancy, and post-birth. But there is still so much we don’t know about these time periods, both for baby and mom, and many a black box remains. Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we talk about breathing in birds — how it takes two breath cycles for air to leave their bodies, and while it travels within their bodies, it's stored in various sacks, some of which are in their butts. Then we discuss how food waste contributes to approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions every year, and what we can do to reduce it. We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
3,500 years ago, cats started showing up in Egyptian paintings on tomb walls and in sculptures and carvings. Not only were they abundant in these representations, but it was very clear that they were domestic. They had collars around their necks and were eating out of food dishes underneath the dining room table. That scene is not so different from the life many cats lead today. So how did cats go from the wild to being immortalized on tomb wall paintings and lounging on living room couches? And just how domestic is a domestic cat?Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we tackle the debate surrounding whether or not it rains diamonds on Saturn. Then we talk about how UV degradation can break down some of the harmful residual dyes from plastic pollution, and what it means in the context of microplastics. We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On May 7, 1981, influential physicist Richard Feynman gave a keynote speech at Caltech. Feynman opened his talk by politely rejecting the very notion of a keynote speech, instead saying that he had his own ideas on what to discuss and that everyone should speak on what they please. And for Feynman, this meant proposing a new technology that could simulate physics with computers. That lecture 44 years ago is widely considered to have kicked off the field of quantum computing. In today’s episode we dive into the world of quantum computing — its big challenges and exciting potential applications such as decoding tough-to-crack encrypted messages or discovering new drugs. Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we cover squirrel pox — a disease that hasn’t had a huge impact in the United States but has decimated populations of squirrels in the UK. Then we talk about the story that Napoleon's army lost the Battle of Waterloo because the military uniforms used tin buttons that broke apart in cold temperatures, making it harder for the troops to survive. But is there any truth to that story? We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In January, 1997, David Nierenberg was a physician at Dartmouth‐Hitchcock Medical Center, specializing in toxicology. Chemist Karen Wetterhahn was placed in his care. When she arrived at the hospital, Karen was slurring her speech and having difficulty balancing and with coordination. What David soon learned was that her symptoms were all due to a few tiny drops of a compound called dimethylmercury. Today’s episode focuses on two lab accidents that had a profound impact on research communities, and that inspired changes that have likely saved the lives of scientists and other workers since. The first story is that of Karen Wetterhahn who, in the 1990s was a professor of chemistry at Dartmouth College whose lab focused on heavy metal toxicity. The other story is about fatal prion protein exposures in France that led to a temporary moratorium in 2021. Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we talk about how climate change may impact the effectiveness of mental health medications and how heat waves impact mental health more generally. Then we cover how fetal heart rates can change depending on which language they’re hearing while in the womb. We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Climate change has brought forth extreme fire events, like the Palisade and Eaton fires in Los Angeles, which devastated communities in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades in the beginning of 2025. And it’s becoming harder to not wonder: Is this just the world we live in now? Under the constant threat of catastrophic fires? Fortunately, we have the perfect guests to answer that question. We traveled to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and spoke with two of their scientists who study fires from space.Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we talk about why the FDA recently banned Red Dye No. 3 and how concerned people should be about its use in food. Then we cover icy winter roads and the fascinating science behind clearing them and taking a more sustainable approach that won’t hurt the environment.We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In 1975, NASA launched two spacecraft to Mars. Viking 1 and Viking 2 arrived at their destination less than a year later, each bringing a lander to explore the surface of the planet and an orbiter to survey above. What was supposed to be a 90 day mission ended up lasting until the early 1980s. Those years provided scientists with important data about the Martian landscape, from seismometer readings of marsquakes to the reddish color of the sky.But the Viking missions had another important task: they were going to look for possible signs of life. The Viking experiments would go on to become an important landmark in science, one that’s helped researchers in a number of fields figure out what we can be doing better to find signs of life beyond Earth.Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Link to the Tiny Show and Tell story is here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we talk about what dark energy and dark matter are made out of and how knowing more could upend our understanding of the Big Bang. Then we cover microchimeric cells — cells transferred between baby and mom — and how new research in mice shows that fetal cells that took residency in mom from a first pregnancy are replaced by new fetal cells of a second pregnancy.We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In December 2017, the FDA approved a new injectable drug to treat type 2 diabetes called semaglutide, which you likely know by its brand name: Ozempic. A few years later, during the pandemic, Wegovy, a drug with a higher dose of the same active ingredient, was approved specifically for chronic weight management. Soon after, people taking Ozempic started reporting a dramatic, even “life-changing” weight loss. Ozempic is now a bona fide blockbuster. So what’s the science behind these “wonder drugs” that apparently 1 in 10 of us could end up using? They have the potential to have so many positive effects on our lives, from treating Alzheimer’s disease and addiction to changing our relationship with consumption but, like with most things, they also come with risks.Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we hear from a listener who has Marfan syndrome and dive into the complexities of the disease. Then we talk about pathogens that eat — or infiltrate! — plant DNA.We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Over the last 200 years or so, vaccines have come a long way, for a number of viruses. We’ve made so much progress, in fact, that in 2017 scientists began the early stages of vaccine development for some virus families they believed could pose a future pandemic threat. One of those families was Coronaviridae: coronaviruses. Not many people know that before SARS-CoV-2 started making its way into people in 2019, there was already a project underway in the U.S. to create a vaccine for a looming coronavirus (we didn't!), but even that would not have been possible without the decades of vaccine and drug research that came before it, particularly for HIV. Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we break down what limits on anesthesia could mean, both for doctors and patients. Then we hear from a listener who’s on a research trip in Puerto Rico and went kayaking in a bioluminescent bay. What is bioluminescence? And what are the perfect conditions to try to see it?We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.Check out this Journey to the Microcosmos video, "The Algae That Saved an Astronaut's Life"See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The placenta is essential for life, but so much of its function is unknown. In this episode, we talk about how this disposable organ’s development within the early weeks of pregnancy shapes so much of what happens months later. We tackle what makes the human placenta so unique, what other animals like reptiles are teaching us about it, and how scientists are turning to evolution and computer models to see if we can better understand it.Check out the IVF episode of Tiny Matters.Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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🤯👍
great podcast with very informative episodes👍👍👍
clear explanations, amazing facts, very inspiring for anyone interested in a scientific career.